Goats must eat their specially-formulated feed. It has been designed to provide everything that your goats need to thrive. However, let’s be honest, goats don’t just want to eat that. Like us, they need a bit of a treat every now and then. So, can goats eat blueberries?
Can Goats Eat Blueberries?
Goats are browsers, not grazers like cows. This means that they’re designed to eat a variety of different things, including leaves, twigs, and even fruit.
So, yes, goats can eat blueberries. In fact, they love them! Goats will often seek out blueberry bushes on their own and munch on the berries until they’re gone.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with them eating blueberries. Eating blueberries could be healthy for them.
Blueberries are high in Vitamin C, K, and B. This means that your goat gets a nice nutritional boost. They will have these nutrients in their feed, but a nice boost is also good.
However, blueberries mustn’t become a major part of your goat’s diet.
For starters, while blueberries are nutritional, they do not contain everything that your goat needs. There is a risk that if you give your goats too many blueberries, it steers them away from the food that they actually do need to function.
The main issue with blueberries, however, is the fact that they are high in sugar. If you own livestock, then you should know that too much sugar is a bad thing. It can lead to a variety of health issues.
This can include serious stomach illnesses that could potentially lead to death. This means that sugar consumption in goats should always be kept to a minimum.
How Many Blueberries Can Goats Eat?
We wouldn’t recommend that you give each goat more than a handful of blueberries once or twice per week. Once per week would actually be better.´This way, you can give them some other treats too.
Remember, some goats may not be able to handle the blueberries. While goats are normally foragers, not every goat takes kindly to having new foods introduced into their diets.
They do have pretty sensitive stomachs. Therefore, if you are planning on giving your goats some blueberries, we suggest that the very first time you do so, you keep an eye on your goat’s behaviour.
If they display any sort of pain or symptoms of a stomach illness, then we suggest that you don’t give them blueberries again.
How to Prepare Blueberries for Your Goals
You don’t have to do much to prepare blueberries for your goats. If you have bought them from a store, then wash them. This will help to get rid of any pesticides on them.
You don’t want them to eat any pesticides or other chemicals that might be on the skin of the fruit.
You can hand feed the goats the blueberries, which is great if you are trying to ‘train’ the goat to be a little bit friendlier, or if you have already bonded with your goat. This is our preferred way.
Alternatively, you can mix the blueberries into their feed. This will encourage them to eat their normal food while having them forage about for the extra treats.
Also read: Goats can eat blackberries and raspberries
Conclusion
Goats can eat blueberries, but they mustn’t eat too many. Blueberries are high in sugar. We recommend that you do not give your goats more than a handful of blueberries once or twice per week. And make sure the berries are washed before you let them loose on them.
